Child abduction: what parents can do

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Effective cooperation between authorities is crucial in cross-border cases where emotional distress is heightened

The globalised world we live in is not restricted to the economy and corporate
dealings. Relationships have gone global on an unprecedented scale.

An ever-rising number of children are born to parents who belong to different
jurisdictions, creating challenges for international family law in cases
where the parents’ marriage breaks down.

An ugly consequence of marital breakdown is the growing problem of
international child abduction.

The Office of the Head of International Family Justice for England and Wales
(The Office) has seen a dramatic increase in the number of child abductions
over the past decade. Founded to deal with legal

Court of Appeal
Published: March 3, 2015
In re M and Others (Children) (Abduction: Child’s Objections)
Before Lord Justice Richards, Lady Justice Black and Lord Justice Ryder
Judgment: January 27, 2015
When a court was determining whether, for the purposes of article 13 of the
Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980,
a child who objected to being returned to his country of habitual residence
had attained the age and degree of maturity at which it was appropriate to
take account of his views, the exercise required was a straightforward
examination of whether the terms of the Convention had been satisfied
without the use of any technical subsidiary tests